On July 28, 2026, SCIPP participated in the State Agency Workshop on NOAA Products and Applications at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. The one-day workshop focused on enhancing climate services across Oklahoma state agencies, and was a collaborative effort led by Oklahoma Climatological Survey staff. The core goal of the workshop was to understand agency needs for climate information and identify relevant NOAA data resources to meet them, ultimately ensuring that NOAA climate information reaches communities and populations.
The workshop design featured three major sections:
- Hazard Tool Café: Included small-group rotations by hazard (i.e.: Flooding & Precipitation, Heat & Drought, Wildfire, Winter Weather); tool demonstrations; and discussion of short-term and long-term tools
- Multi-Agency Guest Speakers: Keynote address from Oklahoma State Climatologist; presentations by NOAA partners; and tool demonstrations by Mesonet and SCIPP staff
- Cross-Agency Learning and Relationship Building: Opportunity to share feedback from breakout groups, break down silos, and build networks across agencies serving the same hazards
Several SCIPP staff members participated in the planning and execution of the workshop. Darrian Bertrand facilitated hazard tool café demonstrations on Heat & Drought, and also gave a presentation on the Simple Planning Tool for Climate Hazards. Caylah Cruickshank, Josephine Kilgore, and Rachel Riley also contributed to general workshop planning, execution, and note taking. Workshop attendees were professionals from several state agencies across Oklahoma, including: Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC); Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM); OK Dept. of Environmental Quality (OKDEQ); Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT); Oklahoma State Dept of Health (OSDH); Oklahoma Forestry Services (OFS); Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB).